Great writing and great photography in this story about a small Minnesota town where conservative Lutheran pastor Jason Wolter denies that COVID-19 vaccines work. “You’re lying to people,” he says, “You flat-out lie about things.” Wolter is speaking of Reed Anfinson, his next-door neighbor, who is the editor of the Swift County Monitor-News, “[a] contemplative man…
My friend from high school passed away a few days ago. What an amazing preacher. So intelligent, so approachable, so passionate. What a loss to the Diocese of Lansing and everyone who knew and loved him. I am laughing through my tears at his aside, “I want to smack ’em!” (I knew him…
Similar:Spanish dance @laurelballettheater @westmorelandsymphony The NutcrackerDancePICT PROUD: PICT actress Carolyn Jerz takes on Viola in Shakespeare’s Twelfth NightPICT PROUD: She’s appeared on our stage…CultureMillennials Shy Away from Voice MailI was happy a few years ago when Seton H…CultureWest Side Story to play out on Geyer Performing Arts Center stageCarolyn Jerz is playing the lead role…
Similar:Steve Strauss: Why I Hire English MajorsDoing things correctly earns you points …AcademiaMy J-Term course on August Wilson doesn’t actually start until tomorrow, but the first ass…We’ll cover all 10 plays, but each stude…AcademiaMy mother-in-law invited me to try out the 60- year-old tape machine that belonged to my f…My mother-in-law invited me to try…
Rewatching ST:TNG A transporter accident causes LaForge and Ro to wander the Enterprise-D like ghosts. The teaser begins in medias res, with the Enterprise responding to a Romulan distress call. While prepping to beam over, Ro snarks at Riker under her breath, but backs down when challenged. The Romulans, who seem almost overwhelmed by the…
When reality contradicts the truths that define group membership, the evangelical community circles the wagons and puts the power and influence of its tight institutional network behind the assertion that, in fact, the emperor is wearing clothes, and anyone who says otherwise is a dirty godless liberal intent on persecuting Christians. How do I justify such…
Similar:Chilling analysis of organized, anonymous disinformation campaign against Parkland survivo…Forty-seven minutes after news broke of …CultureThe Declaration of Independence (Dramatic Reading)I rather enjoyed recording this oral int…Current_EventsKitchen utensils for my steampunk villain's hideout. #Blender3D. There’s nothing particularly steampu…Aesthetics"Wolf!", cried the shepherd boy. (The whole thread is worth reading.) https://twitter.com/CT_Bergstrom/statu…CultureTrump, Obama seem equally disinterested in portrait…
When I was in college and active in a Catholic student group, I remember noticing that a second edition of the hymnal Glory and Praise rewrote lyrics, replaced many generic references to “men” or “brothers” with synonyms like “all” or “fam’ly” (elided to two syllabus). Sometimes this meant rewriting the rhymes, or occasionally leaving a…
I enjoyed reading this short John Henry Newman poem for WAOB Audio Theater. Similar:Things I will tell my kids if they become entrepreneursLots of good live advice in these slides…AcademiaA quick Sunday visit to #fortligonier with my history-loving son.A quick Sunday visit to #fortligonier wi…CultureCouples in successful relationships always use these 6 phrases: 'You'll grow…
Similar:[E-Mail is for Old People] –[E-Mail is for Old People] (User Frie…AmusingFont vs Typeface: bold and italics are fonts, but Arial and Times New Roman are typefacesAestheticsAfter decades lost, Star Trek’s original Enterprise model may have been foundLong before sci-fi shows created their v…DesignDespite its impressive output, generative AI doesn’t have a coherent understanding of the…
A very current short play by Bill Irwin. Very creative use of Zoom as a performance space. I didn’t expect it also to cover so much else. Very touching. Similar:FBI Raids Star ABC News Producer's HomeIn April, the FBI raided an ABC journali…CultureWilliam Shakespeare’s Star WarsBecause apparently I am not already nerd…AestheticsiMovie Glitch: Unplug Removable…
block of American society. But for critics of how the term is used today, Judeo-Christian is vague, historically flawed and even inflammatory. These opposing views reflect a deep rift in American society and illuminate very different fundamental political beliefs.
“This is a term defined by exclusion,” said Shalom Goldman, a professor at Middlebury College in Vermont, arguing that the term is often used to reject secular values and Muslims.
“It’s essentially saying our values are not the values of the Enlightenment or the Constitution, but instead our values are the values of the Bible,” he said.
Rabbi Jack Moline, president of the Washington-based Interfaith Alliance, called the term a “generalization” and said it is one “Christians in particular use to put a patina of universality on a certain Christian culture in the United States.”
After mounting a half-hearted defense of a woman who says masks don’t work, that there’s a cure for COVID-19, and that doctors make medicine from DNA from aliens and that experts are working on a vaccine that makes you immune from becoming religious, Trump ends a press conference by walking out of the room. Background…
“I am the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and was not given even a courtesy call, that they would be clearing [the area] with tear gas so they could use one of our churches as a prop,” Budde said. She excoriated the president for standing in front of the church — its windows…
Similar:A former student contacted me to share her thoughts.A few years ago, I told myself I would s…AcademiaThou shalt not commit logical fallacies Thou shalt not commit logical fallaci…AmusingConflict Strategies for Nice PeopleNothing to do with Christmas… just thi…AcademiaCarolyn's performance as Ariel #bardinbloom @ThePublicPGHSo good to see her preforming live on st…CultureShould you trust media…
Like many people, I curate my social media posts. After a month of coronavirus lockdown, I’ve been curating more than usual. I have spent (many) sleepless nights scrolling through news reports in slack-jawed horror; I’ve (often) felt overwhelmed; I’ve lost my temper at my family (regularly). I haven’t posted about such events because I don’t…
Similar:My Encounter with EpochTimes.comPeter and I spoke to a reporter from Epo…AestheticsBoston Herald Guild Members Boycotting Twitter After Reporter SuspendedMembers of the Herald’s editorial guild …Current_EventsThe Outcast (#StarTrek #TNG Rewatch, Season 5, Episode 17) Genderless civilization oppress…Rewatching ST:TNG Members of a ge…CultureMisleading to suggest that because I have nothing left to mark that I have nothing…
Rewatching ST:TNG after a 20-year break. After a primitive, rationalist society mistakes Federation technology for supernatural power, Picard must do whatever it takes to undo the resulting cultural contamination. Fortunately for Picard, that involves lots of talking. A grim scene in sickbay memorably demonstrates that humans in the 24th century can sometimes delay but cannot…
Peter and I spoke to a reporter from EpochTimes.com after the Shen Yun show yesterday. I said I was interested to hear the group’s message in favor of religious freedom, and was surprised to encounter the anti-Communist stance. After I found this picture on the EpochTimes.com website, I scanned through its news feed and noted…
One of seven touring groups devoted to sharing China’s traditional culture. The name means “beauty of divine dance.” Much emphasis on acrobatics and fluid motions. A recurring theme was interaction with the divine, and one number set in the present day focused on two brothers, one a police officer and one who falls in love…